OAKLAND — The city will draw in delegates from around the nation as it hosts the 52nd biennial convention for the Chinese American Citizens Alliance this week.

The three-day convention, which begins Wednesday at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, will allow members from the 18 chapters of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, a civil rights organization founded in 1895, to review proposed resolutions.

The convention will focus on whether to adopt the resolutions. It also will include elections for the grand board, as well as education components.

The theme of this year’s convention is “Bridge to the Future,” and this is the first time since the 1990s that it has been held in Oakland. Some of the Oakland members said this provides a major benefit for the city.

“We are absolutely looking forward to it,” said Ed Yu, co-chair for the board organizing the convention. “Oakland has been booming ever since the last convention that was held here. … I believe we came a long way and we should be really proud of the convention coming back here.”

The convention will feature panel discussions, workshops and the Spirit of America Awards.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan is one of the five people who will receive a Spirit award, which “recognizes Americans who embody the indomitable spirit of our great nation, who have demonstrated superior leadership in a field or profession, and whose achievements have made a national impact on the Chinese American community and America.”

The convention is held every two years to build community and help chapters galvanize and rally around issues.

“We hope to get people excited and educated about issues so they can be informed when they go back to their hometowns and continue to work together as a national organization,” said Helen Ying, vice president of communications.

In addition to evacuating 10 neighboring homes, deputies restricted pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the area while the sheriff's office bomb squad "safely disposed" of the explosives, officials said.